Takuma Sato makes peace with the paradox of IndyCar's 'game-changing' hybrids

Former Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato confirmed his entry for the 2025 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in March. The Japanese driver was among the 34 drivers who participated in the Indy 500 open test and tested the hybrid power units around the 2.5-mile oval. Sato came out and made peace with the paradox of the hybrid cars.

IndyCar introduced the hybrid powerunits midway through the 2024 season but decided not to run the same at the Indy 500 since the systems were relatively new for everyone with not much data. However for the 2025 season, the hybrids will be used, making the open test a crucial one for all the teams and drivers.

Takuma Sato, who hadn't driven the hybrid power unit in IndyCar since its inception, came out and detailed the pros and cons of it. The Japanese driver explained how the regeneration for the system and the extra power deployment will lead to greater action, but the extra weight of the batteries and motors makes the car harder to handle.

Sato spoke with NTT IndyCar after the first day of the open test, i.e., April 23, as he said (via IndyCar's YouTube video):

“What I like is the hybrid. It's quite fun, actually. Regen and deploy is a totally new experience.” (1:43 onwards)

“You can feel the power. You can feel what's happening and that's good. The downside is obviously weight. You know, everybody's saying that it's more than 100 lbs on the back of the car. Just when you get the sensation of getting to the corner, the back of the car, it's just to keep rotating, which it's not a positive way for me. So we need to work onto the car.”

“It's definitely a game changer for that because the setup we been having competitive one is not entirely sure that 100% apply."

The hybrid power unit adds weight towards the back of the car, shifting the weight balance towards the rear end. This leads to the car feeling somewhat unstable in high-speed corners, pushing the rear end out, making the front end light, causing an oversteer snap.

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Takuma Sato finishes in the Top 3 at Indy 500 Open Test Day 1

Takuma Sato announced his drive with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the 2025 Indy 500. The 48-year-old won the 2020 Indy 500 with RLL and returned to race for the team in 2024, continuing the alliance for the current season.

“I’m very excited to return to the 109th Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Bobby, Mike, David, and the entire organization for this incredible opportunity,” said Sato (via Honda Racing) as the announcement was made.

Takuma Sato felt at home straight away in the hybrid IndyCar despite taking it on the tarmac for the first time on April 23. The Japanese driver set the third-fastest time of the day with an average speed of 225.069 mph. Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and 2024 Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden completed the Top 3.